Phoenix, Arizona – July 28, 2014 -- Phoenix College is proud to announce that the student-athletes listed below from the PC Women’s Soccer team have officially signed letters of intent to attend school and play soccer for 4-year universities this coming fall:

The following Bears’ student-athletes have officially signed:

NAME

POS

SIGNED WITH

Jasmine Arollo

FWD

Dixie State College of Utah

NCAA DII

Cecilia Duarte

GK

University of Mobile (AL)

NAIA

Gaby Fuentes

DEF

Sterling College (KS)

NAIA

Lydia Padilla

MID

Alderson Broaddus University (WV)

NCAA DII

Ashley Sias

MID

University of Mobile (AL)

NAIA

The announcements come just days before their now-former teammates take the field with a new class of incoming freshmen to begin preseason drills in preparation for the Bears’ 2014 opener at Scottsdale on Friday, August 22nd.

-Considering who the Bears will open their season with, it’s appropriate that Jasmine Arollo (JAZZ-minn ah-ROY-yoh) would lead this list, since she spent a year as part of both the Bears and Artichokes during her two-year career. After leading SCC to the 2012 Region I Championship match (against Paradise Valley, who was coached at that time by the lady that will coach Arollo for the next two years, Rebels’ Women’s Head Soccer Coach Casey Bingham), Arollo made the move across town to PC to help lead the Bears to the postseason as well. Arollo did just that in memorable fashion, since despite the fact that opponents spent the season keying on her defensively, Jasmine responded with a banner season. The Apollo High School alum hammered opposing goalkeepers with 78 shots on goal, which was more than all but one other ACCAC Women’s Soccer player, and cashed 16 of those shots in for goals. Arollo led the Bears in points, goals and assists from start to finish, recording at least one goal or assist in 13 of the 15 matches that the Bears scored in. She had five multiple-goal matches and a pair of ‘hat tricks’ (three goals in the same match). Arollo’s season numbers of 42 points and 16 goals placed her 2nd in the ACCAC in both categories, and her 10 assists were 3rd-best in the conference. It shocked no one that she was named 1st Team All-ACCAC & All-Region I, was the ACCAC Player of the Year Runnerup, and earned NJCAA 3rd Team All-American honors after the season.

-While Arollo wound up as the team’s most recognizable player by the end of last season, the Bears’ Women’s Soccer player that actually got the most attention nationally throughout most of the season was Cecilia Duarte (seh-SEE-lee-yuh doo-WAHR-tay). Arollo won the ACCAC Player of the Week Award during the first two weeks of the 2013 regular season, then Duarte took things from there. The Alhambra High School alum rang up the ACCAC Goalkeeper of the Week Award after the third week of the season, then bested that a day later by earning NJCAA Goalkeeper of the Week honors. It was the second time during her two-year Bears’ career that she’d earned that twin bill, and she wasn’t done, since she pulled off the same feat in mid-October. What Arollo did to get the Bears to the Region I Quarterfinals last October was matched defensively by Duarte, who wound up 4th in the conference in saves (79) and 5th in goals-against average (1.22 per match). Duarte was in goal for all but one match during her two-year career

-Duarte certainly wasn’t without help, though, in keeping the Bears’ defense stingy. Much of that defensive help came from Gaby Fuentes (GA-bee FWENN-tehz). Fuentes was one of only two Bears’ players to start every one of the Bears’ 21 matches in 2013 (the other being Arollo), and was the mainstay of the Bears’ defensive back line. The Apollo High School alum was one of the main reasons why the Bears’ last four wins of the 2013 campaign were all shutouts.

-Sagar knew where his players’ strengths lie, and knew what spots to put certain players. In the case of Lydia Padilla (LID-dee-yuh puh-DEE-yuh), her forte’ in 2013 was penalty kicks, since she was a perfect 2-for-2 in that category, which accounted for her points scoring as a sophomore. The Greenway High School alum first showed off that ability in Yuma, putting the Bears ahead of Arizona Western right before halftime with a penalty shot, then followed that up at home against Cochise just two weeks later to ice a 4-0 Bears’ victory. Padilla played in 20 of the Bears’ 21 matches during her sophomore year, starting in five of them.

-Finally, the University of Mobile’s second Bears’ signee is another one that will have three years of eligibility left to provide the Rams with scoring punch, since Ashley Sias (SEE-yuss) redshirted in 2013. However, during her freshman campaign of 2012, she was one of Sagar’s mainstays on the back line, starting every one of the 19 matches she played in. Sias was also one of the few ‘out-of-towners’ on the Bears’ roster, since she decided to leave her eastern Arizona hometown of Safford to play for Sagar and the Bears.

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